In 1924, two miners camped in a valley on the east side of Mount St. Helens claimed they were attacked by a giant apelike creature. So began the Northwest legends of the elusive Bigfoot, and the naming of this particular canyon. The incident has since been proved a hoax, but the name lives on. Even today, the northwest is ripe with colorful legends, and those that claim to have had their own encounters with the mysterious creature. And it certainly doesn't keep avid hikers from venturing into woods themselves. Lahar The trail to the Ape Canyon overlook begins just before the road ends at the Lava Canyon parking area. Look for a small turnout on the north side of the road. From the starting point, hike up to views along a mile-wide lahar, created by the instantaneous melting of the Shoestring Glacier, that flowed down the mountainside during the last volcanic episode. This vast river of mud and rock is over 30 deep in places. Past the lahar views, the trail climbs steadily through first maple and alder second-growth forest, then transitions to hemlock and fir old-growth. There are occasional windows through the trees to the towering east rim of Mount St. Helens along the way, otherwise the shady trail is decorated in late spring and summer with a menagerie of wildflowers: penstemon, lupine, paintbrush, bunchberry, queen cup, wild strawberry, cow parsnip and anemone. Ape Slot Near the top of the ridge, the views explode in all directions. Ape Canyon far below, Mount Adams towering to the east, and Mt. Rainier looming over Pumice Butte to the north. You then leave the cover of forest behind and enter the blast zone. The first feature to note is the 100' deep slot in the lava wall at the head of Ape Canyon, which funneled the 1980 mudflows down Ape Canyon. The trail then ends at a junction with the Loowit Trail, the 30-mile trail that circumnavigates the entire mountain. Turn right (N) here and continue on the Loowit Trail another 0.8 miles across the desolate Plains of Abraham to a natural spring that creates a miniature oasis filled with summer wildflowers, and more spectacular views all around. Continuing a little farther will take you through a section of pumice desert to an area littered with giant lava bombs, huge volcanic boulders blasted out of the volcano. For an even longer trek or backpack, the trail continues another 5 miles to the Windy Ridge viewpoint. &pIDImage gallery See a GPS track of this hike at Backpacker.com (coming soon!) Note: This trail is very popular with mountain bikers. While hikers technically have the right-of-way, the trail is narrow; be aware and announce your presence if you hear bikes coming.